Sadly, My Future May Be Outside Of Golf

As this blog was being written, we were expecting the birth of our second child. I’ll have some time to spend with the family because it isn’t very busy at work, which poses a problem. It’s to the point where I’m wondering if there’s something else I can do for a career. The way it [...]

Lessons Are Taking Low Priority

There has been plenty of talk about participation in golf and that will obviously affect the number of people who take lessons. I think with beginners who really want to get better, there’s no change, but I think in the 15 to 20 handicap range, the people who play maybe twice a month, there’s a [...]

I Won’t Mind Layering Up And Working This Winter

We can go pretty much through the winter where I teach at the Northview Golf Academy in Surrey, B.C., where we have a couple of rooms and heated stalls for the diehards and I hope there are a few out there this winter. If they want to take lessons, I’m there. I’ve got lots of [...]

Why Go Squirrelly In Retirement?

At the age of 38, I haven’t thought of a retirement age. I figure as soon as I win the lottery, I’ll retire. If that doesn’t happen by the time I turn 65, then we’ll see how we’re doing. Of course, I’m saving because I don’t know how I’m going to feel at age 60 [...]

An Extended Season Would Be Good For The Soul

Out here in British Columbia, golf operators are praying for the longest Indian Summer on record. I was driving home in August and I heard on the radio that it was 27 C outside and I’m almost positive that was the first time I’d seen it above 25 this year. We’ve got a portable air [...]

Member Attendance Is Critical For B.C. Show

As you’ve been reading in the trade news, the PGA of British Columbia is trying August dates for its buying show and that takes place next week at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond. The association has assured the Canadian Golf Industry Association that a certain number of buyers will be on hand to [...]

I Really Hate To Hear The “R” Word

I really don’t like the sound of the word “recession,” which seems to be creeping back into discussions recently. When I was in college, I wrote a paper in economics class. It was the early ‘90s and there was a recession going on at the time and the topic of the paper was if we [...]

Tough To Get An Exact Read On The Industry

With the weather the way it’s been this year and the economy so unpredictable, it’s so difficult to get a handle on where the golf industry is these days. I don’t think the golf industry is thriving right now, but I do think the numbers we have are misleading because there’s only so much you [...]

Golf Shows Must Re-Invent Themselves

I was asked for a response to the current GNN Poll and I would say that golf shows in their current state and concept are dying. Realistically, by the time a golf show comes around, it’s just not relevant. All of the new equipment and other merchandise have already been released. Everybody’s seen it. It [...]

Open Will Get Vancouver Buzzing Again

The RBC Canadian Open is just a few weeks away from the opening tee shots at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver and there are a lot of people looking forward to it. I think when RBC signed Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar and others earlier this year, it started quite a buzz around here [...]

It’s Actually Starting To Feel Like Golf Season

As June began, the weather here was beginning to offer indications that it was going to cooperate begrudgingly with golf and you could see that people were starting to get the itch. Of course, the weather lets us know that it isn’t fully going to comply. We’d get a couple of good days followed by [...]

After The First Round, Who Knows?

The PGA Championship of Canada gets underway Wednesday at Cottonwood Golf and Country Club near Calgary and its match play format means that anything can happen. I think if you look at the first round matches, you can pretty much take the top seeds and make them the home team for your choices and go [...]

U.S. Open Is For Everyone

I recently took a shot at local qualifying for the U.S. Open at a course called Tumble Creek in Roslyn, Wash., which is east of Seattle. It’s a absolutely beautiful course and if anybody gets the chance to play it and doesn’t, they’ll have to answer to me. What a great layout with a lot [...]

It’s Great To Have CPGA Championship Back

I’m looking forward to playing at the Canadian PGA Championship at Cottonwood Golf and Country Club, near Calgary. Beyond that, I think it’s great for the association to have brought it back into the mix. It’s an event that has so much history and it was a shame that we went without it for five [...]

Kudos To The Point Grey Membership/Board

That’s a great story about my old friend Jeff Buder of Point Grey Golf and Country Club being able to play in the returning Canadian PGA Championship. You can read about that here. If you don’t know the story, Canadian PGA executive director Gary Bernard sent a letter to explain the new Canadian PGA rankings [...]

End Of Winter’s Seasonal Effect Means Brighter Spirits

There are signs that the nice weather actually wants to stay around, but we’ll see and hopefully, the phones will start ringing with the pent-up anticipation for golf. I suppose we shouldn’t complain about the wet weather. I’d rather be here than on the prairies with all of the flooding there and I wish them [...]

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